Dispenser for liquids or semi-liquids



April 6, 1965 w, G. FISCHER ETAL 3,176,375

DISPENSER FOR LIQUIDS OR SEMI-LIQUIDS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 29, 1961 April 6, 1965 w. G. FISCHER ETAI. 3,175,875

DSPENSER FOR LIQUIDS OR SEMI-LIQUIDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1961 ATTY April 6, 1965 w. G. FISCHER ETAL 3,176,875

' DISPENSER Fon LIQUIDS 0R sEm-Lmurns Filed June 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W @NN N m H W, A K o A NQ l/QNN .11111 M mx 5&1/ s T iii a W w Q @l i., E fm 1 l IMM M l /mw .l1 I @u @E 1 i P HILl WNN Y N hfIITI/l/ IIIMAJ B I wb, NNN u .l iii/Lx nf 1. www NNN W wwf @NN UMH H NN United States Patent O 3,176,876 DlSPENSER FOR LIQUIDS R SEMI-LIQUIDS Warren G. Fischer, Elmhurst, and Joseph V. Willie, Chicago, Iii., assignors to H. G. Fischer @e Co., Inc., a corporation of Illinois Filed .lune 29, 1961, Ser. No. 120,634 4 Claims. (Cl. Z22- 44) This invention relates to a dispenser and in particular to a dispenser rfor metering predetermined quantities of such material as paints, pigments and the like. The invention disclosed herein is an improvement upon our invention disclosed and claimed in Patent No. 2,985,339, issued May 23, 1961. The dispenser disclosed and claimed in this patent is effective and highly desirable. The Vinvention disclosed herein improves upon the patented invention in providing a construction which is more economical to manufacture, simpler and requires less upkeep in connection with fthe use thereof.

The dispenser disclosed herein includes a valve. 'An ancillary invention relates to the construction and manufacture of the valve whereby a tight and highly efficient valve is provided Without requiring expensive lapping of the valve parts.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference will now be made Lto the drawings wherein:

'FIGURE l is a side elevation of a dispenser embodying the present invention.

vFIGURE 2 is an elevation on line 12-2 of :FIGURE 1 lof the dispenser from a difieren-t side to show the metering scale.

FIGURE 3 is a section upon line 3-3 of FIGUR-E l.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional detail upon line 4 4- of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a top View looking down upon the dispenser illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 6 is a section along broken line 6 6 of FIGURE 5.

lFIGURE 7 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURE 6 but showing the pump piston and valve in diferent positions than illustrated in FlGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged detail along line 8 3 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective of the valve member.

FIGURE l0 is a sectional detail of the pump piston on line 16AM of FIGURE 2.

FiGURE `l1 is a detail partly in section illustrating a simple means for disposing and maintaining a shrink plug in the valve chamber during cooling of the moulding.

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged detail of a part of the showing of FIGURE l1, this view showing a section of the ybase of the dispenser containing the valve chamber.

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 12 with the shrink plug in position.

.The dispenser .illustrated in the drawings is adapted to be mounted on suitable supports such as tables or cab- Iinets as suggested incur previous patent referred to above. inasmuch as the manner of mounting the dispenser and the mounting means form no part of the present invention, no showing thereof is deemed to be necessary. It ywill he understood, however, that each dispenser in a battery of dispensers may be as herein illustrated and described.

A dispenser includes housing 1li having bottom 'll from ywhich depend supporting legs 112. Housing 10, together with bottom 111 and supporting legs 1l2, may be one of one piece and may be of any suitable material such as plastic or metal. Plastic such as Bakelite may be used and will provide a satisfactory construction. Legs 12 are provided with threaded recesses for bolting to a support. Housing includes a generally lcylindrical portion 1S for containing the material to be dispensed. Por- "ice tion 15 of the housing terminates in top edge 16, upon which .there `can rest a cover assembly generally indicated by 1S and including as a part thereof cover plate 19. Cover plate f19 may be of metal or plastic and carries housing 20 Acontaining an electric motor. The electric motor within housing Ztl has its drive shaft 21 rigidly secured by coupling 22 to rod 23 carrying a number of paddles 2li extending laterally from the rod. Rod 23 and paddles 24 are normally disposed inside of housing portion 15 and may be used to stir either continuous-ly or intermittently the liquid or semi-liquid material Z6 within housing portion 15.

Cover plate 19 carries bosses 27 extending downward-ly into the housing and suitably threaded to accommodate 'bolts 23. Bolts 28 support screen 30 of suitable material as stainless steel. Disposed between screen and cover plate 16 is porous pad 31 of material like felt, ber glass or the like. Screen 36 and porous pad 31 prevent vapors within housing portion 15 from escaping from the housing and prevents the .introduction of dust or dirt which may be present in the air outside of the dispenser. The entire assembly consisting of electric motor, cover plate 19, screen 3d and filter pad 31 constitutes a sub-assembly which .may be removed with the rod and paddles fro the housing as a unit.

Housing 1li and housing portion 15 in the nor-mal position of the dispenser are disposed as illustrated in FIG- URES l, 2 and 6, with the housing vertical and cover plate 19 at the top. Housing por-tion 15 is not completely cylindrical lbut has one por-tion thereof `distorted from a cylindrical shape to provide a laterally projecting auxiliary housing portion 33. Laterally projecting auxiliary housing portion 33 may have any desired'icross sectional shape and, as seen .in FIGURE 3, may conveniently have the shape of a U with the bight of the U curved. rllhe exact sha-pe of this auxiliary housing portion is not important except that it be suiicient to provide for the pump which will now be described.

The bottom of auxilary housing portion 33 merges into dispenser base portion 34 having annu-lar track 35. Track 35 provides an end bearing and support for cylindrical tube 37. Tube 37 has its bottom end resting in tr-ack 3S and is preferably sealed or cemented thereto to establish a tight, leakproof joint. Any suitable sealing material may be used, such as for example, epoxy resin, Bake- -lite resin or any other suitable plastic or thermosetting material. Tube G7 is precision tubing, of glass, metal or plastic. The tube forms a pump cylinder and has its inside Wall sufciently smooth so that a cylindrical surface is provided.

Operating within pump cylinder 37 is piston rod 39 of metal Vor any other suitable material. Piston rod 39 has its end portion 40 reduced in diameter and roughened and carries washers `#il and 4Z thereon. Washers d1 and 42 are of metal and are at opposite ends of piston 43. Washer 42 is kept in position on the piston rod by bolt 45 having the threaded portion thereof disposed within the threaded recess in the end of piston rod 39.

Piston 43 is of Teflon (tetrauoroethylene), manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours. Piston 43 has annular groove 46 around the eener thereof and disposed Within this groove is O ring 47 of natural rubber, Buna rubber or other suitable material.

Glass pump cylinder 37 has its top 43 closed by block 50 of rigid material such as moulded plastic. Block 50 has projecting annular portion 51 to seal the top end portion of the pump tube. Block 50 has over-hanging part 52 which abuts the end of glass tube 37. Block 50 is rigidly maintained in proper position by bolts S4 passing through the side wall of auxiliary housing 33 and engaging tapped recesses in block Sil. Block 54B is apertured to provide a bearing for piston rod 39. Air relief port 56 in the. normal position of the dispenser.

through the block to the piston rod is provided. Clear- `vvardly. Block 50 has its top portion 57 generally flush with top edge 16 of housing portion 15.

Piston rod 39 has free end portion 60 threaded.

Threadedly secured to portion 60 is bracket 61, this bracket having a threaded aperture therethrough so that the bracket can be adjustably disposed upon threaded portion 60 by turning piston rod 39 relatively to the bracket. A cap nut 60a locks the piston rod and bracket. Bracket 61 carries sector plate 62 of metal or the like and has depending therefrom scale plate 63. Scale plate 63 'has shoulder portion 64 and extending below the shoulder portion is scale portion 65 having one edge provided with ratchet teeth 66. Scale portion 65 lat the bottom terminates in stop shoulder 67. Cooperating` with scale portion 65 and particularly with ratchet teeth 66 is detent plate 69 carying detent finger 70. Detent plate 69 is supported at auxiliary housing portion 33 by bolts 54 previously described in connection with theV support for block 50 at Vthe top of the pump cylinder.

. The piston and piston rod are capable of both vertical movement and limited rotary play. The rotary play is restricted and is bounded at one end by engagement of detent linger 70 with ratchet teeth 66. The other end of the turning movement of the piston and scale plate is provided by boss 71 at one side of auxiliary housing 33. Thus a limited amount of rotary play is provided for the piston and scale assembly. The detent iinger and scale plate form two parts of a metering combination. Instead of the scale plate being movable, the detent finger mayV be movable.

Base 34 at the bottom of the housing has inlet and discharge passage 73. Passage 73 has extension 74 which intersects bore 75 within base 34. Bore 75 can be provided dril-ling from the right side of base 34 as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7. The dead portion of bore 75 is at 76. Basel 34 is also provided with tapered valve chamber 77. .Tapered valve chamber 77 'adjoins cyl-indrical passage 78, both being coaxial. Valve chamber 77 extends perpendicular to bore 75 and also generally horizontal f v Communicating with tapered valve chamber 77 is inlet passage 79 extending from'bottorn 11 of the housing. Vertically alined with inlet pasage 79 is discharge passage 80 extending from the valve chamber through the base, Operating within tapered valve chamber 77 is rotary valve member 81 having valve passages 82 and 83 extending generally radially of the valve member and intersecting at the center of the valve member. The angular separation between passages 82 rand 83 is substantially 90 as shown in l FIGURES 6 and 7, and permits valve member 81 to function as a two-way valve. Valve member S1 has one end portion v85 shaped to provide a cupped region against which an end of spring 86 can be disposed. Spring 86 is a coil spring extending between cupped portion 85 and end cap 87 of metal or other material. End cap 87 is secured iirmly in position by bolts 89 passing through suitable apertures in cap 87 and engaging threaded recesses within base 34 of the dispenser.y Cap 87 YVhas annular groove 90 within which O ring 91 is disposed to function as a gasket. The dimensions of the can and Oyring arrangement are such that O ring 91 presses againstthe portion of base 34 surrounding the end of tapered valve chamber 7 7 Y Valve `member 81 has its small end 93 transversely grooved. Part 93 may have the general shape of a piu or cylinder having groove or slot-94extending across the Y i f end of the coupling portion. Valve operating member96 against free'end portion 130 of the dispenser base. Flange portion 99, is maintained in Vposition by washer 101, engaging the outer face of flange 99. f Washer 101 is maintained iirrnly in position lby bolt 102 disposed in a threaded recess in the body of the base. By controlling the pressure of washer 101 on flange 99, it is possible not only to maintain the valve operating member in position but also to provide suiiicient frictional drag so that no accidental movement of the valve is possible. Valve operating member 96 has handle portion 103 extending fromflange 99. Handle portion 103 may have any suitable shape and is provided with a knurled generally circular finger piece 104. In order to limit valve operating movements between predetermined extreme limits, shoulder 105 is provided Von the flange, this shoulder serving to cooperate withportion 106 of the base to stop the valve at one end. At the other end of the` valve position, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 for example, straight portion 107 of the valve operating handle cooperates with portion 108 of the housing material. Thus movement of thevalve member from one position to the other can be provided without fear of overshootin-g.

' In order to use the dispenser, andl assuming that theV housing is filled with material as illustrated in FIGURE 6, the valve should be in the position illustrated in FIGURE 6 with the piston at thebottom. With the Valve in this position, Vthe `piston is pulled upwardly as illustrated in FIGURE 7. The piston rod'during this upward movement is turned so that the'serrated or ratchet teeth are free of the detent. Assuming that the scale shows the desiredamount of material to Vbe dispensed, the piston rod is turned so that the'detergent engages the ratchet tooth corresponding t-o the desired iigure. The piston rod is thus elevated to aV predetermined height and locked temporarily in this position. The two-way valve is now turned to the position illustrated in FIGURE 7., Thereupon the piston rod is turned to disengage the detent from the ratchet teeth, permitting the piston to move downwardly and expel the material pulled up into the glass cylinder. v

As noted previously, an important feature of the pres- Y Y must not leak.

In accordance with the present invention, the valve body containing the tapered chamber 7 8 is made of a hard dense plastic material such as Bakelite. The portion' of the moldY for valve chamber 77 mustV be finished to a mirror smooth surface. Furthermore, the casting or moulding is cooled with a steel shrink plug (which may be the original mouling part for the valve chamber) so that the dimensions, curvature and finish remain true.

The tapered lvalve member illustrated in FIGURE 9 is madeof Telflon having a glass filler. This procedure is well known. However, we have found that the percentage of glass is critical. This percentage ranges from about v 12 to 18% of glass, by weight, to Teflon. To much glass makes the valve member too hard. Too little glass makes the valve member wear too fast. The above range provides a valve member which operates smoothly over normal temperatures encountered -in business premises. The valveneed not be lapped or prepared otherwise.

Pure Teflon by itself not only makes it difficult to prevent leakage, but what is more important, the valve member is mechanically weak so that it is difficult to turn the valve member for operating'the Valve without endanger- 5. ing the mechanical coupling between the valve member and the operating member.

The new valve requires no O rings and may be used where cheap, but accurate taper valves are required.

It is possible to have pump cylinder drain 74 directly over the valve chamber and have storage region drain 79 end at bore 75. Discharge drain Sti would in all cases go from the valve chamber.

As previously stated, the moulded dispenser body consisting of housing 1i) and base 34 is processed to prevent the moulding or casting from changing dimensions at the valve chamber during cooling. A simple means for accomplishing this is illustrated in FIGURES 11 to 13 inclusive. The entire moulding or casting generally indicated by 112 includes as a part thereof base 34 containing valve chamber 77 and cylindrical passage 78. When casting 112 is removed from the mould and while it is still hot, it is put into a lixture, generally indicated by 114, and including portion 11S for accommodating base portion 34 of the casting. Portion 11S of the ixture is apertured at 116 to provide access to tapered chambers '77. Fixture 114 is suitably disposed in clamp 11S which is supported by spring 119 at some distance above clamp base 129. A simple means is provided for moving clamp portion 118 downwardly against spring 119. This simple means may consist of eccentric 121 pivoted at 122 in trunnions 123. Eccentric 121 may be turned by handle 124 so that the eccentric assumes a dotted line position and forces clamp part 118 containing fixture 11d and casting 112 straight down. Clamp portion 11S will move vertically on post 125.

Carried by clamp base 120 is a shrunk plug 127 having portions 12S and 129 dimensioned to iit tapered valve chamber 77 and cylindrical chamber 7S in the casting.

ln order to insured firm seating of tapered portion 12S of the shrink plug within valve chamber 77, it is desirable to so dimension the shrink plug that shoulder 13u in 4the shrink plug will normally be somewhat short of the corresponding shoulder in the casting. This is illustrated in FGURE 13.

The arrangement is such that a predetermined pressure tending to telescope the casting over the shrink plug will be applied. The shrink plug is made of steel or other rigid material, iinished accurately to the dimensions of the moulded valve chamber. The shrink plug is preferably kept cool by suitable means, not shown, and the casting is permitted to cool with the shrink plug in position as illustrated in FIGURE 13. As a rule, the casting will cool in about l minutes, after which it may be removed from the shrink plug.

Portion 129 of the shrink plug which normally extends into cylindrical chamber 78 of the casting is provided Vto maintain the alignment of the valve chamber and cylindrical chamber. lf desired, a slight taper on portion 129 of the shrink plub may be provided so that the plug will not bind in the casting.

A moulded part containing a valve chamber can be accurate to about two or three tenths of a thousandth of an inch when made in accordance with the above procedure. It is understood that the pin portion of the Vmould for initially moulding the valve chamber must be very accurately made to a smooth mirror finish. As the result, the valve chamber of the casting prior to cooling may be made very accurately. The trouble in conventional moulding comes into being when the casting or moulding cools and during cooling, shrinks and distorts. It is understood that this occurs because of the necessity for having the moulding compound, such as Bakelite resin for example, at a high temperature. A valve chamber having a diameter of the order of about .8 inch and a length of almost an inch can vary in dimensions substantially when cooling from about 300 F. down to about 70 F. The trouble occurs when the shrinkage is not uniform as viewed from the axis of the valve chamber. Thus the circularity may be olf and the taper may not only be different, but may also be non-linear. Because of the above difficulties, a member containing a valve moulded of any thermoplastic or thermosetting material will have leakage and poor valve operation unless the valve chamber is accurately reamed or lapped, or both. The present invention makes it possible to eliminate all finishing operations on the valve chamber. The resulting valve containing the Teflon glass mixture, the latter having its surface ground accurately, is tight and will have a long useful life.

What is claimed is'.

l. A dispenser for liquid or semi-liquid materials, said dispenser comprising a housing having in the normal position thereof a base at the bottom thereof and an open top, said housing providing a generally cylindrical storage chamber with a vertical axis and having a laterally offset portion extending for the length of the housing, said laterally offset portion having an annular well in the base portion of the structure, a separate prefabricated pump cylinder tube disposed in the laterally offset portion and having one end resting in said well and sealed therein, a vertically movable piston and piston rod assembly within said pump cylinder, a bearing structure for said piston rod rigidly attached to said housing adjacent the top thereof, said bearing structure closing the top end of said pump cylinder and providing a clearance region along the piston rod from the bottom of said bearing structure upwardly for a portion of the length of said bearing structure, said bearing structure having a lateral relief port extending between said clearance region and the storage chamber with the piston rod extending above the bearing structure and terminating in a handle, so that on piston movement along the cylinder axis, air above said piston may move into or out of the storage chamber, said base having a horizontally disposed valve chamber with a valve member rotatable therein about a horizontal axis, said valve chamber having valve inlet passages from the bottoms of said pump cylinder and storage chamber respectively, said valve chamber having a valve outlet at the bottom of the base, said valve member having suitable passages for three-way valve operation, means for engaging one end of said valve member for turning the same about the axis of said valve chamber, and means at the other end of said valve member for maintaining said valve member in position within said valve chamber against endwise removal, said last named means including an end cap for covering one end of said valve chamber, said end cap having a flexible O ring for sealing purposes.

2. The structure according to claim 1 wherein said storage region is provided with a cover, an electric motor carried by said cover immediately above the same and having a shaft extending through the cover and carrying a rotary paddle for mixing within said storage chamber, said cover also having a porous lter structure attached to the inside face thereof, the cover and filter structure being generally circular with the motor shaft passing through the centers thereof.

3. The structure according to claim l wherein said bearing structure comprises a separate block disposed within the housing wall in the laterally offset housing portion, at least one bolt passing through the wall of said housing and into the bearing structure for rigidly supporting the same, said bolt carrying a stationary part of a detent and ratchet means for indicating the pump piston position, said indicating means including a part rigidly secured to the piston rod for movement therewith in both rotary and vertical directions, said piston rod being rotatable in said pump cylinder for detent and ratchet tooth engagement or disengagement, as desired.

4. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said valve chamber is of hard moulded plastic and wherein said valve member comprises a moulded member of Telion containing between 12% and 18% by Weightof Y glassiiller whereby said Valve member within` said hard plastic housing has excellent wear characteristics, the yalve member containing enough glass so that it is not too hard and Works smoothly with minimum Wear under normal room temperatures.

References Cited by the Examiner I kUNITED STATES PATENTS Schuman.

Birchall etal. 251-368 X Hulslander 251-368 X, Fischer et al. 222-44 Bass et al. 251-368 X Baudhuin et a1 222-309 X Fogg 222-43 Windsor 251-368 X Bradbury 251-183 X 10 LC'UIS DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

LAVERNE D. VGEIGER, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR LIQUID OR SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS, SAID DISPENSER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAIVNG IN THE NORMAL POSITION THEREOF A BASE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND AN OPEN TOP, SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL STORAGE CHAMBER WITH A VERTICAL AXIS AND HAVING A LATERALLY OFFSET PORTION EXTENDING FOR THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSING, SAID LATERALLY OFFSET PORTION HAVING AN ANNULAR WELL IN THE BASE PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE, A SEPARATE PREFABRICATED PUMP CYLINDER TUBE DISPOSED IN THE LATERALLY OFFSET PORTION AND HAVING ONE END RESTING IN SAID WALL AND SEALED THEREIN, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE PISTON AND PISTON ROD ASSEMBLY WITHIN SAID PUMP CYLINDER, A BEARING STRUCTURE FOR SAID PISTON ROD RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF, SAID BEARING STRUCTURE CLOSING THE TOP END OF SAID PUMP CYLINDER AND PROVIDING A CLEARANCE REGION ALONG THE PISTON ROD FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID BEARING STRUCTURE UPWARDLY FOR A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID BEARING STRUCTURE, SAID BEARING STRUCTURE HAVING A LATERAL RELIEF PORT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID CLEARANCE REGION AND THE STORAGE CHAMBER WITH THE PISTON ROD EXTENDING ABOVE THE BEARING STRUCTURE AND TERMINATING IN A HANDLE, SO THAT ON PISTON MOVEMENT ALONG THE CYLINDER AXIS, AIR ABOVE SAID PISTON MAY MOVE INTO OR OUT OF THE STORAGE CHAMBER, SAID BASE HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED VALVE CHAMBER WITH A VALVE MEMBER ROTATABLE THEREIN ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID VALVE CHAMBER HAVING VALVE INLET PASSAGES FROM THE BOTTOM, OF SAID PUMP CYLINDER AND STORAGE CHAMBER RESPECTIVELY, SAID VALVE CHAMEBR HAVING A VALVE OUTLET AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE, SAID VALVE MEMBER HAVING SUITABLE PASSAGES FOR THREE-WAY VALVE OPERATION, MEANS FOR ENGAGING ON END OF SIAD VALVE MEMBER FOR TURNING THE SAME ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID VALVE CHAMBER, AND MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR MAINTAINING SAID VALVE MEMBER IN POSITION WITHIN SAID VALVE CHAMBER AGAINST ENDWISE REMOVAL, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING AN END CAP FOR COVERING ONE END OF SAID VALVE CHAMBER, SAID END CAP HAVING A FLEXIBLE O RING FOR SEALING PURPOSES. 